Associate Professor David Webb practises as a Urological Surgeon in Melbourne.

Associate Professor Webb was born and educated in Melbourne. He was fortunate during his school and university days to spend considerable time on the land with his family jackarooing in outback New South Wales and working in the Riverland vineyards and Adelaide Hills of South Australia

He obtained his MB.BS., at the University of Melbourne and Royal Melbourne Hospital.

He also undertook elective terms at Singapore University and New Zealand.

Before commencing advanced surgical training, Professor Webb spent his resident years at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Royal Women’s Hospital, Fairfield Hospital for Infectious Diseases, and worked as a Medical Officer in Vanuatu (then New Hebrides), and the Solomon Islands.

He commenced advanced surgical training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, then travelling to London to study for his primary Fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons. He obtained his primary surgical Fellowship at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow.

Associate Professor Webb was able to include a stint as a climber and medical officer for an Australian Mountaineering expedition to Island Peak in the Everest Region (6000metres).

David returned to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for his formal Urology training. During this time he was also a demonstrator in the Anatomy School at the University of Melbourne.

After obtaining his Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Urology, returned to Europe for post graduate studies.

He performed Clinical and Laboratory research at the Meath Hospital and Trinity College, Dublin, where he undertook the research for his Master of Surgery Thesis (MS). This work studied percutaneous (keyhole) kidney stone surgery of the kidney, and the effects of lithotripsy (non invasive stone fragmentation) on the kidney.

David returned to London for another 18 months as a Senior lecturer at the Institute of Urology as well as further post graduate training at the Devonshire Hospital and in Mainz in Germany. In Mainz he learnt the then new treatment of extra corporal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) for kidney stones. With this knowledge he returned to London to be involved in the establishment of Lithotripsy in the United Kingdom.

In 1986 David returned to Melbourne as Consultant Urologist to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Lecturer in Surgery at University of Melbourne. Inn that year he also joined the RAAF Specialist Reserve as Consultant Urologist (Squadron Leader), a post he still holds.

Throughout his undergraduate and continuing career, teaching and research have been a high priority of Associate Professor Webb’s career.

He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Melbourne in 2009 for his continued research, including the development of a number of new surgical techniques and instruments.

He has visited and lectured in London, Karachi, Istanbul, Hanoi, Indonesia and most States of Australia as a visiting Professor, has been on the editorial board of a number of local and international Urological Journals and been involved in the development and establishment of the techniques and instruments for paediatric percutaneous kidney stone surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital.

In recognition of his teaching and research, he was appointed an Associate Professor of Surgery at University of Melbourne in 2004.

David has also been very involved in Urological Society and Royal Australasian Surgical College matters. He has held the following posts, Chairman of Training, Accreditation and Education (Victoria), Secretary of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (National), and Chairman of the Victorian Division of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand.

In 2005, David underwent training in the USA in Robotically Radical Laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) using the da Vinci robotic system, generally known as “Robotic Surgery”.

David’s wide experience in open, minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery procedures have allowed him to develop a number of particular interests as well as general urology. These include the minimally invasive treatment of urinary stones, lithotripsy, treatment of cancer of the kidney, prostate, bladder and testis, microscopic vasectomy reversal, endoscopic prostate surgery and robotic techniques.

When not working David is at home with his wife and three children, playing Real (Royal) Tennis golf, enjoying a walk, book, gardening or a glass of red wine!

What is a UrologistOpen

A Urologist is a medical specialist, who treats both medical and surgical conditions in men and women, of the kidney, bladder, prostate and male genital system.

These include problems such as infections, stones, and cancer.

To qualify as a urological surgeon, a doctor has to do at least five years post graduate surgical study, under the auspices of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Urological Surgery and then continued Professional Development and Re-accreditation under the supervision of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand, and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Scientific Presentations

Associate Professor Webb has made over 150 scientific presentations in Australia as well as England, Ireland, Singapore, Vietnam, Myanmar, Germany, Austria, Scotland, Turkey, Indonesia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

Scientific Publications

Associate Professor Webb has published over 90 Articles in refereed International Scientific, Urological and Surgical Journals. He was co-author of Percutaneous Renal Surgery (text book on minimally invasive endo-urology of the kidney and ureter), Published by Churchill Livingstone.

In 2016 he published and entirely new text book of PCNL Surgery ( Springer). You can purchase a copy of the book here.

PUBLICATIONS:

First Publications

Ligature
Professor Webb and his colleague Shomik Sengupta published the first paper on the application of Bipolar Diathermy (Ligasure) for Urological Surgery.

Percutaneous Renal Surgery
This highly successful guide to percutaneous renal surgery has been fully revised and enlarged in it’s second edition, and now contains nearly 150 illustrations.

Percutaneous Renal Surgery – A Practical Clinical Handbook
This book represents a practical manual, suitable for medical students, nurses and technicians, and is a unique manual for all urological trainees and urologists treating renal stone disease worldwide.

This book represents a practical manual, suitable for medical students, nurses and technicians, and is a unique manual for all urological trainees and urologists treating renal stone disease worldwide.

Development and design of surgical instruments

Professor Webb has designed and developed proto type and production models of instruments for flexible cystoscopy, insertion of ureteroscopes, percutaneous needle access to the kidney, dilatation of the kidney, and nephrostomy drainage tubes for the kidney.

He has also designed a knife for percutaneous pyeloplasty, instruments for tissue expansion within the scrotum, and stents for open surgery including ileal conduit and pyeloplasty.

Surgical Techniques

Professor Webb has described new techniques which have been published and adapted for percutaneous kidney surgery in children and adults, shockwave lithotripsy of biliary calculi, laparoscopic extra peritoneal space expanders, penile lengthening surgery for cancer resection, percutaneous pyeloplasty and instruments for straightening the ureter for endoscopic access.

He has also published original techniques for anastamosis of the bladder and urethra, and a posterior approach to create the “Veil of Aphrodite” when performing Robotic (RALP) prostatectomy. Professor Webb has also presented and pioneered the use of the Monoderm “Barbed Suture” for urethro-vesical anastamosis in Australia.

Heraldry and LogosOpen

The Design of Various Urological Ties, Cufflinks and Logos

Professor Webb has designed eight ties for Urological Meetings, the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand, and the Austin Repatriation Urology Unit including development of its Unit Coat of Arms.

His first tie was the Freemasons Hospital Endo-Urology Workshop tie, which was developed for the first Australian Urological Workshop for Percutaneous Renal Surgery in 1987.

He has designed ties for the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand Annual Scientific Meetings in Hobart in 1993, Melbourne 1998, Melbourne 2005, and Brisbane 2006.

In association with Dr. Nathan Lawrentschuk, he designed the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand’s official Society tie, in 2007 and in 2008, designed the logo for the Austin Repatriation Urology Unit and the Austin Urology Unit tie.

Logos – alternating logos of Freemasonary Victoria and a gold kidney and collecting system with a central red area in the renal pelvis representing a renal calculus.

Maker: Tee Dee Australia.

2. 1993 – 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Urological Society of Australasia in Hobart, the first meeting tie for the Societies. (Including Bow Tie)

Background – Navy Blue

Description – the tie was divided with the fine red and gold stripes falling from the left shoulder, dividing alternating logos.

The Society logo was represented by the crest of the Society Coat of Arms, a lynx with stars scattered across its body, holding the ancient instrument known as an Exploratium first used for stone surgery.

The Meeting logo was a circular framework based on the original “Mortenson” prostate logo which forms the seal of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand. The logo was coloured yellow and green being the national colours of Australia and black and silver, the colours of New Zealand.

In the centre of the prostate logo, was the Thylacine (“Tasmanian Tiger”), which was taken from the Cascade Brewery beer label. (By permission).

The Motto of the meeting was “Never Stop Searching” a double edged pun relating to the never-ending search for the Tasmanian Tiger and the purpose of the meeting, the never-ending search for knowledge.

The tie was on a navy blue background with diagonal stripes of red and gold from the left shoulder, separating alternating rows of the Society lynx and the Meeting logo.

The meeting logo was shaped in an oval representing the Australian Rules football, the game having been founded and first played in Melbourne. In the centre of the football was the prostatic logo of the seal of the Society. The circle and urethral areas were coloured green and gold of Australia and also a steering wheel representing the Grand Prix.

In between were the colours black and silver representing the New Zealand national colours and the chequered flag of the Grand Prix.

The motto of the meeting was “racing ahead” a pun on Melbourne life and customs that include the Australian Rules Football Grand Final, Melbourne Cup, Grand Prix and the avid search for continuing the development of scientific knowledge.

The tie is on a navy background, with broad red and gold stripes diagonally down from the left shoulder.

These bands separated the Society lynx and the Meeting logo. The Meeting logo was a classic Victorian terrace house in gold.

This represented the unique Victorian streetscape of East Melbourne where the Conference was being held and those of North Carlton, which have been described by World Heritage as the best preserved Victorian Streetscape in the world.

After a submission, this tie was commissioned by the Executive of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand by Associate Professor Webb and Dr Nathan Lawrentschuk.

The tie’s background is navy, representing the southern sky and the similar national Flags of Australia and New Zealand.

The tie has diagonal stripes from left shoulder downwards, modelled on the prototype of the Brisbane tie.

These are in silver, black, gold and green representing the national colours of Australia and New Zealand.

The alternating logos are those of the Society lynx from the Society Coat of Arms alternating with the original logo of the Society “Mortenson” prostate logo. This is coloured gold centrally representing the prostatic urethra with urine contained within and representing the lobes of the prostate.

Therefore the two logos represent the original and subsequent motives designed to represent the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Maker: A. Royale and Company

7. 2008 – Austin Repatriation Urology Unit Tie

This tie is on a navy background.

It contains circular logos which are a representation of the Society “Mortenson” logo with red prostatic lobes, a gold circular circumference or outer border and centrally gold representing urine in the prostatic urethra.

Super-imposed upon this is the modified coat of arms representing Austin and Repatriation Urology.

This Coat of Arms is a modification of the Austin Family Coat of Arms, that was the original motif on the Austin Hospital tie, which has now been disbanded.

On the shield of the Coat of Arms were originally birds. These have been replaced by “Old English” gold leaf letters A, R. and U standing for Austin Repatriation Urology.

Maker: Noone Image Wear Melbourne

8. The Austin Urology Unit Tie

The Unit tie is based on the original Austin Hospital tie. The shield or motive is a combination of the “Mortensen Prostate Logo”, (the background of a golden circle with three red prostate lobes with gold in between them representing urine), and the Coat of Arms of the Austin family. Elisabeth Austin was the sole benefactor responsible for the building of the ” Hospital for incurables” in 1882. The Austin name was given to the hospital at a later date when the Board and Victorian Government became aware of her unique and profund generosity.

The Austin family Coat of Arms was on the original Austin Hospital tie. The inverted chevron has been modified and removed from the original shield to become the ” A” for Austin on progressively the current (in my opinion, rather ordinary) “logo” of Austin Health.

In any event on our site, the Austin Family Coat of Arms is reproduced with slight modification.

On the original Austin Coat of Arms were three birds. These have been replaced for the purpose of our unit emblem with the capital letters ‘A,R & U” styled in old English font, representing the combined Austin and Repratriation Urology service.

It is probably appropriate that we exclude the “Austin Birds”, as Thomas Austin (Elisabeth’s husband), not only introduced the rabbit to Victoria for hunting purposes, but also our three major European pests, the sparrow, the starling and the thrush.

The tie will be restricted to Austin Health Consultants, Registrars in training and Research Fellows of the Unit.

From time to time, the Unit may present a tie to honoured guests and lecturers as a token of it’s esteem.

9. Logo and Coat of Arms of Austin Urology

The Austin Urology Coat of Arms was developed as a combination of the “Mortenson” prostate logo and Seal of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand and the superimposition of the Austin Hospital, formerly the Austin Family shield and coat of arms which has been modified to have the letters A, R and U representing Austin Repatriation Urology, within the shield.

Underneath the shield and within the outer border are the words “founded 1958” which is the date of the first formal urology appointment at the Repatriation Hospital, which subsequently combined with the Austin to form the Austin Repatriation Urology Unit.

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HistoryOpen

Professor Webb has collected and written histories for the Royal Melbourne Hospital Unit, and the first 50 years of Urology at the Austin and Repatriation Hospitals, Melbourne. He was a member of the Peter Lawson Archives Committee of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (Victoria).

His recent historical research which suggests the Foundation Date of the MCC was 1/11/1841 and not as formerly believed 17/11/1838 has been published in the referred Journal of the RHSV.